Maria Sharapova has returned with a bang after over a year on the sidelines.

She returned to a victory in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, getting past Italian Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-3. During a makeshift interview at the Porsche Arena, she said she had been “waiting for this moment for a long time.”

The tennis star was found guilty of drug abuse. She was banned for two years but she appealed the sentence at the Court of Arbitration (CAS) where she won a reduction to 15 months. She complained that she had a heart issue, aside others, that necessitated her taking a Latvian-produced drug meldonium. She said she was oblivious that the drug was added to the list of banned substance in 2016 by the Anti Doping Agency. The drug is not approved for sale in the United States, and it helps her increase oxygen flow to her heart.

As she returned the biggest questions were the issue of her return after a long time out and her travails during the appeal. There were rumours that the focus of any interview would be the game but so many questions needed answers. Ahead of the game, top stars like Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber asked that Sharapova not get a wild card for the event and Sharapova’s agent blasted them. Sharapova also put the ITF on blast for not publicizing the banning of meldonium. Continue reading →

Tennis Heroes — Comments Off on FORMER CRICKETER WINS FIRST WTA TITLE23Mar 17

A former cricketer in Ashleigh Barty has claimed her first WTA singles title in Malaysia after she made the move to return to her first love.

Barty is a former Wimbledon junior champion but decided to take a break from the game during her teenage years.

Barty decided to re-commit herself to the sport after a long time out. After more than a year, she has started receiving dividends of the decision by winning her first professional tennis tournament. She saw off six players before making it to the final. She defeated Japan international Nao Hibino in the final to lift the title in Kuala Lampur.

“I think it was very unexpected going into the week, we just wanted to come here and play some good tennis and maybe squeak out three-five matches, including doubles. Even if we didn’t walk away with a title, it would have been a fantastic week. Continue reading →